A Democratic House member introduced two proposed constitutional amendments on his party’s first day in power, one of which would abolish the Electoral College.

Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee Democrat and a Judiciary Committee member, said in a statement that that proposal was inspired by his party’s defeats in two presidential elections in the past generation — Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

In those race “the winner of the popular vote did not win the election because of the distorting effect of the outdated Electoral College. Americans expect and deserve the winner of the popular vote to win office. More than a century ago, we amended our Constitution to provide for the direct election of U.S. Senators. It is past time to directly elect our President and Vice President,” Mr. Cohen said in his statement.

The other amendment proposal is also squarely aimed at President Trump — it would bar a president from pardoning himself or numerous close associates.

It apparently would not follow the custom — as did the 22nd Amendment limiting presidential terms, for example — of having the bipartisan gesture of a grandfather clause stating it would not apply to current office-holders.

“Presidents should not pardon themselves, their families, their administration or campaign staff. This constitutional amendment would expressly prohibit this and any future president, from abusing the pardon power,” he wrote.

Constitutional amendments being passed through Congress require approval by two-thirds of both chambers and then by three-fourths of state legislatures, meaning measures perceived as essentially partisan have no realistic chance of passage.

79 Comments

“Americans expect and deserve the winner of the popular vote to win office.” NO! Uneducated Americans expect that. The answer is to educate them or offer better candidates, with ideas, not destroy the system. But stupid gets Democrats elected time after time.
If the Democrat Convention had been fair Bernie would have split the ticket in any event.
Democrats want mob rule.

Not sure why you call this “mob rule”? My vote for President doesn’t count because I’m a Republican in a blue state. I don’t like this at all. Also, it makes no sense that every four years we all of a sudden get really concerned with issues specific to 8 swing states and everyone else gets ignored.

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laserk

3:20 pm January 4, 2019 at 3:20 pm

It is true that the term mob rule is little understood and often not explained. I see the plan of the Framers of the Constitution to create a government with limited powers. The power of Congress was enumerated and it had two branches. The presidency was created to improve on the Articles of Confederation that only had a Congress. The judiciary was also separated from Congress. The states and the people retained all that was not federalized. The republic would have elections by the people and be protected against a concentration of power. The protection against mob rule means a limit on the power of the people which can become oppressive and overturn the rights of the minority of voters and change the system. The democracy means not only the system but the class of voters. The power of the voters was expressed through representatives instead of a direct democracy. Direct democracy can lead to sudden changes which is disruptive. Fundamental change by amendment requires a super majority and more processes than ordinary legislation.

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ltuser

4:07 pm January 4, 2019 at 4:07 pm

How is it not mob rule though Tee?? The mobs (meaning the democrat controlled western and eastern states) being they have more voters in them 10 or so states, than the combined # of voters in the rest of the country, would easily overrule the rest of the country if we went to just a popular vote.
So as it stands, with the EC, at least they have to pay attention to every other state BARRING those 10 big ones.

Another thing that disbanding of Electoral College would facilitate is invasion via mass “migration”. The “migrants” can dominate one or two states (say, CA and NY) and, by rapidly growing their populations there, be able to complete their hostile takeover (on behalf of their masters) of America.

It’s like if Communist China and the US decided to decide all issues by means of popular vote: their 1.5 billion against our 330 million.

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ltuser

1:58 am January 5, 2019 at 1:58 am

And since in CA especially, ILLEGALS DO VOTE, eventually they will rule.. UNLESS WE STOP THIS idiocy.

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Max daddy

12:18 pm January 5, 2019 at 12:18 pm

I didn’t call this mob rule. I stated that mob rule is what the Democrat Party wants. Only until they gain total control. At that time the guns can be turned back on the mob. It’s Helter Skelter fifty years late.
Illegals are serving in government in California. Portland, OR. is a perfect example.
Rule of law is out and coercion through violent compassion is in.
Mob rule.

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billm622

1:09 pm January 5, 2019 at 1:09 pm

This is exactly why any thought of a Constitutional Convention must be resisted, especially for the non coastal smaller states. Once such a Convention started messing with our Constitution, there’s no telling what would come out of it.

Of course the Dems want to change to “popular vote”. They own the population centers, but thankfully we live in a Republic and California and New York don’t run things.

If WE THE PEOPLE would complain , write , call , RECALL this scumbag demon-crap Cohen , he would be gone and congress would be doing what they have been elected to do .
Until WE THE PEOPLE don`t REACT to the scumbags , WE will be doing what they want .

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ltuser

4:08 pm January 4, 2019 at 4:08 pm

We can call, write and do all we want. BUT I DOUBT even if we did so, he’d be recalled and removed from office.

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Leonidas

4:15 pm January 4, 2019 at 4:15 pm

One more time, there is NO federal recall.

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Leonidas

6:33 am January 5, 2019 at 6:33 am

You can mark me down with your childish little stars but it doesn’t change the FACT that there is NO federal recall and you make yourself look DUMB by continuing to advise people to do something they cannot do.

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ltuser

12:55 am January 6, 2019 at 12:55 am

Maybe that’s something that needs to change. IF WE can recall our town’s mayor, sheriff etc, WHY SHOULDN’T we have the power to recall a senator or congresspleb?

The reason the Dems want to eliminate the EC is so they can more easily hack the elections. If Trump is up by 4 million, just insert 5 million fake votes anywhere. 5 million extra votes from a nearly uninhabited county in Alaska? Sure, sounds legit to me. Hillary wins.

An amendment to eliminate the Electoral College would never pass, too many small states would vote against it.

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Loyal American

2:19 am January 9, 2019 at 2:19 am

Some ways to count are misleading.

Those numbers don’t take into account the populations of the different counties, and they disregard the numbers of Trump and Clinton voters in each county.

The ideal of our voting system is “one person, one vote”, not “one county, one vote” or “one state, one vote” or “one acre, one vote” or “one dollar, one vote.” The Electoral College system goes against that idea, by making the votes of citizens in some states much more influential than the votes of other citizens. In a presidential election, should it take 3 1/2 Californians to equal the vote of one Wyomingite? Should smaller states retain their advantage here, as well as in the Senate? That’s a fair question to discuss.

(Some people are even calling for the abolition of the Senate, a much more drastic change than eliminating the Electoral College. They argue that our system of representation was conceived in a time where states didn’t have the dramatic differences in population we have now. Indeed — let me check some numbers — the ratio between the most and least populous states was 9 to 1 in the 1790 census, between Virginia and Delaware, counting only free persons; compared to 66 to 1 in the 2010 census, between California and Wyoming.)

The fact remains that 62,984,828 people (46.1% of voters) voted for Donald Trump, while 65,853,514 people (48.2%) voted for Hillary Clinton. In most elections, in most countries, that would make Hillary the winner.

Since when does the Democratic party understand what is fair or want anything fair. The Demoncrats just want to win by any means possible. They know that CA and NY are solidly Democrat including all of the illegals and the deceased. If we get rid of the Electoral College, we get rid of the US.

Democrats don’t want a democratic Republic (what we have now), but want Mobocracy! We say no because it is not taught well enough in schools any longer, where politically, every time there is a change in office, the rules can change radically, and then there is nothing but chaos…. and anarchy…

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YJ772

4:32 pm January 4, 2019 at 4:32 pm

You’re ABSOLUTELY WRONG. We have a Constitutional Republic. No where in the Constitution is a democracy mentioned. In fact, the framers wrote in their position papers against such a system since they understood that it was antithetical to The Rule of Law.

They also intended the selection of Senators by the Several States’ legislatures to be an additional roadblock to the power of the federal government, but the Several States threw away much of their power by changing to direct election of Senators. The founders were likely looking down on our Untied States with disdain when that amendment was ratified.

WHY . ?????? Because WE THE PEOPLE WE allow them to do what they want . Simple , Very Simple . It is our fault . WE speak here ; Why not , send them what WE POST HERE .???????????
They would change their attitude in a minute .

Well, with the dems now holding a solid majority in the house, i wouldn’t say it won’t pass. At least IN the house of representatives..
And with as many RINOS as there are in the Senate, i won’t hold my breath expecting it to get shot down there either.

But as many of us have pointed out time and time again, ELIMINATING the EC, would mean the dems would only ever have to win Wa, Or, Ca, NY, Fl, MA, and a few other states, to totally override the ENTIRE Rest of the country. IS THAT WHAT YOU’d prefer?

I’m not sure I understand. They wouldn’t win 100% in any of those states. And Republicans in California would actually be more motivated to get out and vote knowing their vote actually counts! I think a large portion of Republicans are suppressed in blue states because they know their votes don’t count.

What if the shoe were on the other foot? What if in 2020 the GOP candidate gets 3M more votes but because they manage to tip Pennsylvania or Ohio, we lose? I just think a vote should be equal no matter where in the US you live.

What do you mean? We’ve won the popular vote before, and we’ll win it again. Simply put, the Electoral College means a vote in Ohio is WAY WAY more important than a vote in Texas. Do you think that’s right?

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ltuser

2:01 am January 5, 2019 at 2:01 am

[ We’ve won the popular vote before, and we’ll win it again.]

With how many whakked out commucrat brain dead indoctrinated fools, our colleges keep cranking out, i can’t ever see a day in the immediate future, where we will win the popular vote…

I read it. I understand it all. I understand the electoral college and why it was adopted. I just think that every year, it become less and less relevant in our nation. I’m sick of not having a voice in electing our President.

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Leonidas

6:40 am January 5, 2019 at 6:40 am

You may have read it but you do not understand it. If you did you would not be calling to eliminate the only thing that gives voters in small states representation in presidential elections.

Once the Electoral College is gone presidential elections will be determined by blue states with large populations and no conservative votes anywhere will count.

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billm622

1:28 pm January 5, 2019 at 1:28 pm

More teaching, reading and understanding necessary. We don’t elect Presidents. We elect Electors to Electoral College to cast our votes for President for us. It’s been working pretty well since our founding.

I also live in a Blue state. I count on the electoral college to represent me. Just because you are stuck in….CACA doesn’t mean we all have to be.
I’m certainly not willing to trash a working system on the hopes that the conservative underground in California will crawl from under their desks, rise up and throw off the chains of socialism.
You should have mobbed Sacramento when you did have the numbers.

Worthless piece of commie garbage doesn’t understand the Constitution. There is ZERO chance of this passing with 2/3rd’s of both chambers of Congress and also 3/4th’s of all state legislatures (37 states). Look at the past election map for proof.
Small states, including Democrat ones like New Mexico, Delaware and even Massachushits would be committing political suicide by voting against their own interests. Idiots like this and Hank Johnson in Georgia (Guam will tip over with more people) are an embarrassment to America.

I agree…there’s no way 2/3 of both chambers and 3/4 of State Legislatures will pass this change. Thank God! All you have to do is read the original debates about it to understand why. Don’t mess with the Constitution. Our Republic “has taken a licking, but keeps on ticking”. Like a Timex I guess.

Eliminate the E C and you will have Federal officials elected by 3 or 4 states. The most populous states trend Democrat thus we will have One party governance analogus to the former USSR and communist China … now tell me Collins dose not understand that. Democrats are now the party of socialist idealology so if you like socialism … your gonna love communism.

They TREND Democrat, yes. But it doesn’t mean they’re entirely Democrat. It’s pretty even, and here in CA, I believe Republican voters tend to just not vote because their votes don’t matter. If we went to vote equality, I think Republicans in these big states would vote!

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ltuser

2:02 am January 5, 2019 at 2:02 am

Hope all you wish. BUT last chart i saw on ca. showed, even IF EVERY republican out there voted, JUST LA and San fran areas alone, would still ‘droun out’ their vote…

The Electoral College is one of the key reasons our country has survived as a Democratic Republic for as long as it has. The College ensures that the politics of the elites (most often liberal elites) especially those living in large metropolitan areas is tempered. It gives those people in the ‘fly over’ part of the country a voice that they would never have otherwise. To abolish the Electoral College would be a major step in the disintegration of the USA as we know it today and what the founding fathers envisioned it to be.

PLEASE, stop referring to our Constitutional Republic as a “democratic” ANYTHING. We never were, and I hope & pray never will be, a “democratic” anything. Without the Constitution, its establishment of a Republic, and The Rule of Law; The United States of America ceases to exist. The demoncrats love for us to use their incorrect terminology because doing so lends them credibility.

How would voters in small states be disenfranchised? Their vote would matter the same as someone in California. Why should we support a system in which a vote in Ohio is WAY WAY more valuable as one in New York, or Texas, or Alabama?

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Jota_

8:53 pm January 4, 2019 at 8:53 pm

“Why should we support a system in which a vote in Ohio is WAY WAY more valuable as one in New York, or Texas, or Alabama?”

A vote in Ohio is NOT WAY, WAY more valuable than a vote in New York, or Texas, or Alabama

All of the states, each, get two votes in the Electoral College because of their Senator

So what one is arguing to have a popular vote is to eliminate the 100 votes from the 538 because 438 are nothing but popular vote

And since states do not cast ballots by which congressional district but a majority vote of a state we are not talking about why a vote in one state has way more value, but two cities, New York and Loa Angeles, which means about 4% of the population will determine the will of the other 96%

If the 435 Congressional Districts gave their vote Hillary won 205, a Trump 230

So going popular vote ONLY allows a minority of 4% to determine the outcome for a majority of 96%

I thought liberals were against the 1% ruling everything but this is all they are doing

I want a Constitutional Amendment to abolish DemocRATs. Wanna see which proposal garners more votes? (Most Dems are too ignorant to know what the Electoral College is or the constitutional reason it exists.) The Electoral College is a major reason we live in a Constitutional Republic, NOT a democracy (mob rule.)

They want to abolish a system that would allow LARGE LIBERAL STATES to elect a president. Elections in states that have large population cities outnumber the smaller rural populated cities and towns subsequently choose their governor, state government, and/or representatives sent to Washington DC, this literally shows how fallible the election process would be without the ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
And it shows another example as to how DESPICABLE the Democratic party is in their fervor to DISMANTLE the US CONSTITUTION. They don’t believe in the basic Rights of the American people, the RULE OF LAW, and a GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE. Then they have the audacity to take an OATH pledging to PRESERVE, PROTECT, and DEFEND.
PURGE 2020 is back on.

Do you want Every Presidential election decided by the Fruits and Nuts of Kalifornica and New York? That’s exactly what you will get if this is even considered. It was designed to allow each state to decide who their winner is and to give all that state’s electoral votes for that person. You are attempting to defeat equal representation by doing this. Of course I am sure that is probably what you intended to do.

The Electoral college was brilliantly designed to keep the States as individual COUNTRIES and the United States as a Constitutional Republic.
The Effect of the college is that there is SOME balance between numbers of voters and in a way the area (square miles) of a state.
IF we eliminate the electoral college then the states with smaller populations have NO REASON OR CAUSE to stay in the Unites States. IT would be to their benefit to LEAVE INSTANTLY.
There is an entire WORLD of unintended consequence if someone decides to try to change this. The immediate destruction of the United States of America will be the result.
It would be like saying that the 10 largest cities in the USA have ALL the control and votes. That just will NEVER be accepted.

This is classic “If we lost then it is obvious the rules need to be changed.”

A nationwide popular-vote-only election would spread any recount so wide and involve so many corrupt Democrat county clerks that the “final” results would take months or years to establish and plunge the nation into massive lawsuit that (just like 2000) would have to be eventually decided at the Supreme Court.

If the Democrats lost (like in 2000) they would continue to cry for years (like they have since 2000).

The ONLY acceptable election for the Demon-crat party is one where they are declared ‘winners’ (regardless of the honest vote).

As a resident of Tennessee for almost 50 years now, I can tell you that Steve Cohen has never been anything but a pus-filled communist pimple on the a _ _ of Tennessee, for the entire time he’s been in congress.

People with a good command of the English language have no problem understanding your comment; liberals who graduated from Ivy League colleges and universities, maybe not so much. BTW, I thought you paid for the vowels.

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